W8MD’s Brooklyn New York Sleep Clinic.

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. These episodes usually last 10 seconds or more and occur repeatedly throughout the night. People with sleep apnea will partially awaken as they struggle to breathe, but in the morning they will not be aware of the disturbances in their sleep. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), caused by relaxation of soft tissue in the back of the throat that blocks the passage of air. The hallmark symptom of the disorder is excessive daytime sleepiness. Additional symptoms of sleep apnea include restless sleep, loud snoring (with periods of silence followed by gasps), falling asleep during the day, not fully refreshed upon waking up from sleep, waking up to go to bathroom to urinate called nocturia etc.

How do you diagnose sleep apnea at W8MD’s NYC Sleep Clinic?

You do a consultation with one of our board certified sleep medicine physicians who will go over your sleep history, do a physical exam and make recommendations on any further sleep studies that might be required such as a polysomnography or home sleep study based on your medical conditions and insurance. Once we complete the sleep studies, we will be able to determine whether you have sleep apnea and if so, what treatment options might be right for you.

How do you treat sleep apnea at W8MD’s Sleep Center in Brooklyn, NY?

There are a variety of treatments for sleep apnea, depending on an individual’s medical history and the severity of the disorder. Most treatment regimens begin with lifestyle changes, such as avoiding alcohol and medications that relax the central nervous system (for example, sedatives and muscle relaxants), losing weight, and quitting smoking. Some people are helped by special pillows or devices that keep them from sleeping on their backs, or oral appliances to keep the airway open during sleep. If these conservative methods are inadequate, doctors often recommend continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), in which a face mask is attached to a tube and a machine that blows pressurized air into the mask and through the airway to keep it open. Also available are machines that offer variable positive airway pressure (VPAP) and automatic positive airway pressure (APAP).

What are the risks of untreated sleep apnea?

Untreated, sleep apnea can be life threatening. Excessive daytime sleepiness can cause people to fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as while driving. Sleep apnea also appears to put individuals at risk for stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs, also known as “mini-strokes”), and is associated with coronary heart disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, and high blood pressure. Although there is no cure for sleep apnea, recent studies show that successful treatment can reduce the risk of heart and blood pressure problems.

What insurances are accepted at W8MD’s Sleep Clinic in Brooklyn, NY?

Medicare

Medicaid

Aetna

Blue Cross Blue Shield various plans

United Healthcare

Emblemhealth GHI

Cigna

Multiplan

1199seiu

Fidelis

Magnacare

Oscar

And many other insurances. Please call the office at 718 946 5500 to learn more or to make an appointment.

Our physicians

Prab R. Tumpati is board certified physician practicing sleep medicine, obesity medicine, aesthetic medicine and internal medicine. Dr. Tumpati’s passion is prevention rather than cure. As a physician with fellowship training in Obesity Medicine, Dr. Tumpati has a unique approach to wellness, weight loss, aesthetics with a focus on prevention rather than cure. Dr. Tumpati takes pride in helping patients be cured of many sleep disorders such as sleep apnea by addressing the underlying risk factors such as weight gain that causes some of these sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. While most sleep doctors just focus on treatment, Dr Tumpati focuses on cure when it is possible.

How can our sleep clinic in Brooklyn NY help you with any sleep, weight, aesthetic or nutrition needs?

Sleep medicine program uses state of the art technology including the convenient home sleep studies or in lab sleep diagnostic studies to diagnose and treat over 80 different sleep disorders including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, insomnia to name a few. Learn more…